Toronto paramedics need more help to deal with mental illness, PTSD: ombudsman
Posted November 13, 2015 2:14 pm.
Last Updated November 13, 2015 2:20 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Momin Qureshi and News Staff
A final report from Toronto’s outgoing ombudsman says Toronto’s paramedics and dispatchers need more help in dealing with the emotional and psychological stresses of their job.
The report, Making the Strong Stronger: An Investigation into How the Toronto Paramedic Services Address Operational Stress injuries, which was released on Friday, focuses on how Toronto Paramedic Services respond to employees’ job stresses, especially those with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and mental illness.
“The human suffering and trauma they deal with every day exact a heavy toll on our paramedics and dispatchers,” Crean said in a release.
“They report a higher than average incidence of operational stress injuries such as depression, anxiety, alcohol and drug dependency, and post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD.”
Crean said the stigma surrounding PTSD and mental health illness is the overlying issue, in that there is a problem with the way they are viewed in society.
“What is reflective of, in my view, is the broader stigma in society. This is not about the employer per se,” she told 680 NEWS.
“The stigma around mental health, PTSD [and] operational stress injuries is huge in our system. It’s still very much in the shadows.”
Crean said the Toronto Paramedic Services already has an in-house psychologist, but “it must be more coordinated in its approach” to tackle the stigma surrounding psychological problems not just within its organization but in society.
“All the elements of really good supports are there, but it wasn’t coordinated. I’ve made 26 recommendations to improve the services and supports that they get,” she told 680 NEWS.
Some of the recommendations include:
- Make improvements to the coordination and communication of the psychological health and wellness plan
- Review the current role and services provided by the in-house psychologist and how it fits with in the larger psychological health and wellness plan
- Provide training on suicide prevention and intervention strategies
- Establish a formal relationship with the city’s Employee Assistance Program in order to enhance psychological services
- Consider an off-site location where employees can meet with the psychologist without fear of recognition
Each Toronto Paramedic Services employee only gets $300 a year for psychological services, which Crean said may cover an assessment but it is not enough for treatment. In comparison, police officers gets $3,500.
Read the full report below:
